Prudkovsky A.A. 2006. [Feeding of hydromedusae Bougainvillia superciliaris (L. Agassiz, 1849) under experimental conditions (in the White Sea)] // Invertebrate Zoology. Vol.2 (for 2005). No.2: 225–234 [in Russian, with English summary].
Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Moscow State University, Vorobjevy Gory, Moscow 119992 Russia.
doi: 10.15298/invertzool.02.2.06
ABSTRACT: Medusae are important consumers of zooplankton in the sea. Hydromedusae Bougainvillia superciliaris is a mass form in the White Sea. Their feeding in experimental conditions depends on zooplankton concentration and environment temperature. Digestion time decreases at high temperature: t = 7,4–0,38*T, T — temperature (°С), t — digestion time (h). Ingestion rate of medusae increases at high concentration of prey: lg Rs = 0,44 + 0,62*lg C, Rs — ingest rate (prey/medusae*24 h), C — prey concentration (ind/l). Ingestion rate is highest at concentration of 1000 prey/l. These changes in digestion and ingestion rates allow B. superciliaris to feed effectively close to the sea surface with abundant but patchily distributed zooplankton.
KEY WORDS: Hydromedusae, Bougainvillia superciliaris, feeding, day ration, zooplankton, White Sea.